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Published on: December 2, 2011
Use of silicone hearing aid mold material in laryngotracheal reconstruction
Yolanda D Heman-Ackah1, Robert T Sataloff
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Objectives:
Endolaryngeal stenting in patients with irregularly shaped larynges can be challenging. In such cases, the use of a moldable yet reasonably rigid endolaryngeal stent is desirable. The purpose of this report is to describe our experience with silicone hearing aid material as a moldable endolaryngeal stent in a patient with an atypically shaped larynx.
Methods:
A patient with relapsing polychondritis that resulted in complete stenosis of the subglottic airway underwent laryngotracheal reconstruction. Moldable silicone, commonly used to prepare ear canal molds for hearing aids, was molded into the neo-endolarynx to serve as a custom-made endolaryngeal stent.
Results:
The patient tolerated the moldable silicone stent well and had a patent airway with epithelialization 8 months after removal.
Conclusions:
Silicone mold material is a suitable substance for endolaryngeal stenting. It conforms to the configuration of the individual's airway, is tolerated well, can be removed relatively easily, and is a useful alternative to prefabricated stents in laryngotracheal reconstruction.
